A British father believed to have gunned down his wife and handicapped daughter before turning the gun on himself is believed to have left a written confession apologising for his crimes.

Police found the note by the murder weapon beside his body in the family’s rented Costa del Sol villa, respected local newspaper Diario Sur reported today.

Philip Wood, 56, is thought to have blasted invalid Irish-born wife Sheila, 54, and their mentally-impaired daughter Sophie, 27, to death before shooting himself with the same gun on a lounge sofa.

Their bodies were discovered covered by a sheet in their bedrooms.

Police have confirmed they are working on the theory the deaths were a murder-suicide and said there was no sign of any struggle at the family’s £350,000 home in a leafy street on the Torrenueva residential estate near the popular Cala de Midis resort a 10 minute drive from Fuengirola.

Autopsies were due to take place this morning in nearby Malaga.

Neighbours claimed former bank worker Mr Wood had fallen on hard times financially and was struggling to cope with looking after his wife and daughter.

One said debt collectors had visited the property last week and the couple had sold off cars they used to own after Mr Wood lost his job.

Their British landlord alerted police after discovering them dead when he went to the property to find out why they hadn’t paid rent and let himself in with a set of keys.

Several neighbours said they heard shots several days ago, sparking speculation the bodies may have lain undiscovered since at least the weekend.

Dutch neighbour Elizabeth Van Heyningen, 66, said: “The couple have been in my house for a drink.

“He seemed very nice but I only knew him as Philip. He was in his late fifties.”

“As far as I knew he used to work in a Spanish bank before becoming an estate agent and then losing his job.

“I think they had run out of money.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin confirmed the woman and their daughter were Irish passport holders. Officials are attempting to contact their next of kin.

The Foreign Office in London said it was “liaising closely” with the local police and was ready to provide consular assistance.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the tragic incident involving the death of three family members in Spain.

“We are liaising closely with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance.”